US EditionScam centers are spreading in East Timor, UN report says
- On September 11, 2025, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicated evidence of a scam operation being developed within Oecusse-Ambeno, a special administrative area of Timor-Leste.
- This finding follows a late August raid by East Timor authorities in Oecusse that detained over 30 foreigners linked to scam operations and uncovered related evidence.
- Scam centres, often large compounds using computer-enabled fraud, have proliferated across Southeast Asia with links to convicted cybercriminals and offshore gambling entities in free trade zones.
- According to UNODC deputy Benedikt Hofmann, the scale and nature of these activities resemble earlier stages of Southeast Asia’s scam industry, which annually generates tens of billions of dollars worldwide.
- The emergence of such operations in East Timor, a financially struggling country in Southeast Asia poised to become an ASEAN member, indicates growing regional risks amid ongoing government efforts to crack down on similar activities elsewhere.
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East Timor Emerges as New Hotspot for Scam Centre Operations, UN Warns
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. UNODC has warned that East Timor's Oecusse region is becoming a hotspot for scam centres linked to cybercriminals and triad networks. Operations exploit investment zones, shell companies, and multiple passports, engaging in online scams, gambling fraud, and potential human trafficking, highlighting growing organised crime in Southeast Asia. World News | East Timor Emerges as New Hotspot for S…
East Timor emerges as new hotspot for scam centre operations, UN warns - The Tribune
UNODC has warned that East Timor's Oecusse region is becoming a hotspot for scam centres linked to cybercriminals and triad networks. Operations exploit investment zones, shell companies, and multiple passports, engaging in online scams, gambling fraud, and potential human trafficking, highlighting growing organised crime in Southeast Asia.
Scam centers spreading in East Timor – UN report
BANGKOK — A suspected scam call operation and a suspicious network of companies was discovered with links to a new free trade zone in East Timor, said a report published by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Thursday.
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